29
August
2008
This is an article I wrote about some of the more unusual acne treatments I’ve come across in my research and years as a struggling teen with acne, as well as my later adult years when the net was more of a information highway 
Enjoy!
I would have given anything to enjoy the pristine complexion that so many of my friends seemed to enjoy when I was a preteen and well into my teen years, and yet the answer remained elusive to me until I was an adult and learned about all of the excellent alternative acne treatments I could use as well as how my diet and lifestyle could clear my skin.
Little did I know at that time, mostly because the internet was not nearly as sophisticated, and barely used at all back then, the plethora of acne cures, treatments, ointments, creams, lotions, devices and diet and lifestyle plans that could clear up my acne if I’d only had the benefit of enlightenment that this vast network of information could have shown me.
However, today is today, and I’m pretty much acne free, so there’s no use crying over spilled milk as they say. Nowadays, I’m reading about some very interesting, very unorthodox treatments for acne that have seemed to work for many individuals, of course to varying degrees, and thought it fun to share some of the more unusual treatment methods with you here today.
The most interesting and certainly dubious if ever there was one, acne treatment I’ve read about, is one that is not an acne treatment at all, but rather one of those happenstance “discoveries” of a totally unrelated substance to acne treatment that is found to be a good topical antidote to acne. It’s actually a sexual lubricant used in Cambodia for condoms commonly used by those in the sex trade for protection against STD’s called Number One Plus.
Many have testified that this lubricant, when applied topically to acne problem areas, actually dries up acne lesions fairly quickly. There is really no explanation for how someone happened to find this out, but I suppose we can just use our imaginations on that one!
Another interesting and unusual acne treatment I’ve heard of throughout my years of research is the topical application of toothpaste to acne lesions. I tried this one and it didn’t work for me, but my own father swore that it helped him clear up acne spots when he was in his teens, and I did also have one friend who said this technique worked for her, but she emphasized that it had to be a white paste type, not blue or clear or a gel.
Another err, interesting treatment that is supposed to be therapeutic for acne as well as other common skincare woes is one that is performed by an asian-inspired beauty salon that gives facials that are made with ingredients that include nightingale droppings. Yes, you read that right – bird poop as an acne and skin care treatment! Still, they swear that this stuff works, so who are we to judge unless we try it?
Here is one that I actually like and also believe it has merit and works as I had tried it back in my more experimental (and yes, I guess desperate) days. It’s an egg white mask. What you do is take the white of a raw egg, separated of course from the yolk, and you rub it on your face just like you would any other type of skin mask that you buy in a store. You let the egg white dry on your face, then rinse it off.
It leaves your skin feeling baby soft and smooth and is supposed to have soothing, therapeutic effects on skin that is affected by acne, which is often inflamed and irritated. This is one of the best and cheapest ways to pamper yourself a bit and give yourself a little salon treatment without spending the money. Just watch you don’t let the egg drip off your face!
Posted: Acne Home Remedies
28
August
2008
We just recently talked a little about humidity and how it contributes to acne, especially body acne, in the summer time. It’s important to take showers when you have done a lot of physical activity of course, to prevent the oil from clogging the pores since humidity increases oil production on the surface of the skin, but also on the face there may be another option if you have an incredibly shiny complexion, meaning you put out a ton of pore clogging sebum.
There are some oil absorbent powders that can be a great addition to your makeup drawer if you have very oily skin that constantly produces an abundance of oil. What the powder does is control it’s excretion so that you don’t have a bad shiny look to the face, and also it may help to control the likelihood that it will clog the pores since it essentially sucks it up before it has the chance to do damage.
As far as which brands offer good powders, you really have to do a little experimenting with that one on your own. You can either ask your dermatologist about one they recommend since they know your skin well, or you can experiment with different offerings on your own. The reason I say that is that I personally like the Bare Minerals powders, but there have been many people, in fact even many that have posted here, that say Bare Minerals did not work for them or made their face break out horribly.
What works for one person may not work for another, or in fact may aggravate another’s skin via an allergic reaction or just plain old not agreeing with the person’s chemistry. Make sure you never over apply facial powder though, as it can end up giving you an overly made up look, or may end up giving you a powdery or cakey look if you don’t apply it correctly or in moderation.
Posted: Acne Cosmetics
24
August
2008
Summer time is really one of my favorite seasons. I could really care less about spring because it teases us here in Ohio with one 60 degree day and then one rainy 45 degree day, so you never know what to expect when you wake up. Fall is gorgeous, but it doesn’t last long enough before the cold weather comes blustering in. Winter’s cool for about a month, then it gets real old when you’re scraping ice off your car and getting two feet of snow in the drive way.
One thing about summer though, which all people who have acne have figured out the hard way, is that summer usually comes with humidity in most parts of the US unless you live in an incredibly arid climate. Humidity is not only wet and sticky, and makes you feel like you need another shower after being in it for about ten minutes when it’s very intense, but it also can help prolong and initiate breakouts on the body namely, and also on the face.
For example, I’m pretty sure that the reason I get body acne in the summer is because partly it is humid, and there are areas of my body that have to be covered by clothes unless I want to run around naked all day. And no thanks, first of all I’ll spare humanity of that sight, and second of all I don’t want a criminal record.
My worst area that breaks out in the summer is my chest. I only get back acne once in a while, so I’m ok with that, but my chest will break out very easily after a day in the hot sun or a day all cooped up under clothes while sweating profusely (by the way, we “sweat” more in humid weather too because it lends itself to the condensation of salt and sweat on top of our skin).
Ways to help minimize body acne in humid seasons where you live is to wear lighter, cotton-based clothes that really breathe. For example, I have a set of tank tops from the Gap that are extremely light, and in fact they expose part of the back and part of the chest as well, so your skin isn’t all cooped up under heavy material and collecting grime and oil mingled with sweat.
Also, try to use a wash on the areas of the body with acne, or search some of the best products for body acne and see which ones might fit your needs as far as treating body acne, which can be gone about slightly differently than treating facial acne.
Posted: Acne News
21
August
2008
There is a relatively inexpensive and fairly effective way to HELP fade red acne scars. Notice I say it will HELP, but I believe that there are a combination of items that will actually totally diminish acne scars that are stubborn with regular use and those can be found here at acne scarring products.
When I say regular use, I believe that many fairly abrasive or potentially irritating products like acid peels and microdermabrasion kits for home use should be used on a weekly basis, and you need to use your independent judgement if you happen to have super sensitive or easily irritated skin, especially if you’ve had acne for quite some time, since sensitive and acne prone skin tend to go hand and hand.
One such inexpensive items is a lactic acid peel. You can get acid peels in a dermatologist’s office or an aestheticians office, but you will pay a heck of a lot more for them than you will if you purchase them online. I’ve found the best values on at home acid peels that have alike percentages of acid concentration as those used in professional’s offices, if not just a tad weaker since of course they don’t want individuals to burn their skin unintentionally at home.
There are still warnings on the ones sold for home use though, because you can indeed still over do it at home, even with a slightly weaker formula. You can over dry and almost burn the skin with lactic acid peels, but more so with harsher ones like glycolic acid peels if you’re not careful.
They tell you to rinse the product off the face if you start to feel any burning, and they’re not kidding. If you start to feel pain, immeidately rinse the stuff off, but mostly be in tune to how your face feels to see if you should just do the minimum time or if your skin has a thickness enough that it can tolerate a slightly deeper peel.
Of course, the deeper you go, the faster you can help diminish things like red pigmentation leftover from acne scarring, or icepick and pitting scars as well, which are much harder to diminish and take more time because they are actually depressions left in the skin from the trauma caused by old acne lesions, especially the deep acne lesions.
Lactic acid peels are a little less irritating, and are recommended for those that suffer with acne over other peels because they are gentle, and because they also help correct discoloration caused by old acne scars.
Posted: Acne Scarring
18
August
2008
Wow, that heading was a mouth full! Neutrogena’s at it again, expanding their acne skin care line to include other enticing products that are named with such catchy and promising product names that we can’t help but throw one of them in our cart on our trips to Wal-Mart or Target, or our local drugstore frequented for OTC acne products.
I was a victim of the throw a new acne product in your cart just the other day, with this promisingly titled product by Neutrogena that seems to promis to “scrub” the acne away and the stress caused acne problem that goes on behind the scenes, since it’s aptly titled as an Acne Stress Control product, which seems to be the new sub line of acne treatment products from Neutrogena.
I’ve long been an on and off fan of Neutrogena skin care products. I used to religiously use their amber colored facial soap bar to cleanse my face as a teen, and it’s a good thing I did, because back then there were really only highly irritating and drying acne products on the shelves like Stridex and Oxy to compete with the milder, less irritating and drying ingredients that Neutrogena tended to favor. Back then, Neutrogena also only had a handful of skin care products to offer, whereas now they are becoming a huge offering in the skin care market to consider.
The Power-Clear Scrub by Acne Stress Control from Neutrogena is in a 4.2 oz squeeze bottle. It’s reasonably priced at about $6 for the tube, at least at Wal-Mart, it probably is marked up a little at other drugstores though. The product is a light baby blue color and appears to be creamy, with tiny darker blue granules that are the “scrubbing” part of the product.
It has my favorite OTC topical acne fighting ingredient in it, salicylic acid, which is a bonus. Now, for the downside, but you decide if it’s even a downside. You may only want to use this after you’ve cleansed your face, because it does a lousy job of taking off any eye makeup you have on, which only begs the question of how truly clean it’s really getting your face and pores of the foundation and creams you’ve applied during the day.
The product does not lather, which may explain the feeling that it’s not really cleaning your face. It leaves a bit of a residue as well. However, I will say that it leaves your face feeling baby smooth when you’re done and have dried your face off. Another good point - it didn’t cause any breakouts, did not dry out my skin, and my skin did have a soft glow to it when I dried it off with a towel. As far as clearing problem pores and keeping acne from happening in the first place, it’s hard to say, but the soothing ingredients can’t hurt as far as a soothing experience since it has cucumber extract and green tea extract (which by the way, should help tighten pores as well).
I will keep using it, but not as my primary cleanser, I will use it periodically as a break from my regular cleansing routine, and may concentrate on using it when I have not applied makeup that day so I don’t have to worry about it taking the makeup off completely. I’ll write a follow up if I feel it’s really worked well after repeated use. I’ve used it five times so far, so I feel I was able to fairly gauge it by first impressions.
Posted: Acne Product Reviews
14
August
2008
I just got done reviewing this line of products, or at least one of their products in particular, the Virtual Laser Wrinkle Eraser lotion, for another site about beauty reviews, and then I thought, why not share this with anyone who, like myself, suffers occasional acne breakouts, and/or has a history of severe teenage or adult acne?
The reason I say that is because sometimes, having acne prone skin makes it tricky to find a moisturizing lotion that isn’t either irritating to acne prone skin, or doesn’t contribute to the clogging of the pores, as many of the heavier moisturizing lotions, serums and creams can do as we all know.
Well, I feel that Virtual Laser has a product that is made for wrinkle appearance reduction that is very reasonably priced, and also helps to dramatically illuminate aging skin, even skin that is still acne prone, like mine, without clogging pores or causing breakouts, or irritating the skin and creating bumps and redness for those with sensitive skin.
It’s not really a well known product line as far as a I know, but Virtual Laser has a cream that is called the Wrinkle Eraser, and I really love it because it helps to make the wrinkles around my eyes look less noticeable, and helps to also illuminate the rest of my face (yes, I apply this everywhere, and generously, even to my T zone, and have had no problems with it making me break out). So, I thought I’d share this with those of the readers who are dealing with both aging skin and acne at the same time.
Posted: Acne Creams and Ointments
11
August
2008
I thought it high time I finally get my butt around to reviewing what appears to be a very legit product that is also very effective at using my favorite way to get rid of acne - the natural, holistic way, called Acne Free in 3 Days by Chris Gibson. It is currently the best selling ebook and hard bound book about acne that is on the market, and that is because word of mouth and good reviews for the product and the system that the author, Chris Gibson teaches, abounds, and that is always a good sign that a product is not just a flash in the pan, or doesn’t work.
I’ve reviewed the Acne Free in 3 Days book, and what I think of how it is marketed and what it can do for people, and you can read it here, it’s short, but it provides my opinion on the product in a succinct way.
Posted: Acne Product Reviews
8
August
2008
I got this question from a reader, and thought I would share it with everyone since some other women out there may have the same questions.
Question : Hello,
I was reading some articles on your website and there seem to be a lot of great alternative type products that are successful at treating acne. I was wondering if you know of a topical product that is safe to use during pregnancy? I have read that ‘tea tree oil‘ should be avoided as well as salicylic acid (Not sure of the spelling). Please let me know if there is an article that you can direct me to or if you know of a good product.
Thank you,
XXXXX
Answer :
Hello. While I couldn’t find much on why some topical products for acne are not recommended during pregnancy, I was able to find that benzoyl peroxide, and unfortunately like you said, my favorite (salicylic acid) is not recommended during pregnancy.
Why exactly I’m not sure, but of course someone who knows about chemical reactions, etc. during pregnancy did the research. I just like salicylic acid better than benzoyl peroxide because I find it has a less drying effect and also does a great job at exfoliating dead skin layers and exposing fresh, new skin.
However, benzoyl peroxide will do as a second best during pregnancy, I would just use it in moderation. I was also able to find this product called Belli Acne Clearing Face Wash, that is recommended for acne during pregnancy which uses lactic acid as it’s weapon, and it is a face wash specifically made/marketed for pregnant women with acne.
Lactic acid is an awesome exfoliant, and also helps to clear the pores of debris, going deep to penetrate and clear the pores of blackhead causing and pore clogging oil and dirt, so I’d give this a thumbs up. While I know this isn’t a comprehensive answer to your question, I certainly hope it helps some! Good luck in your search for a pregnancy acne solution!
Posted: Adult Acne, Questions
5
August
2008
If you have acne, then you know how important it is for your face to remain as free from bacteria as possible, especially since those of us with acne problems tend to secrete much more sebum (oil), on our faces and other acne zones, and this tends to attract more bacteria and debris that is pore clogging and acne-triggering. One of the things we need to be careful of is what we are putting on our faces.
What I mean is we need to be careful how often we touch our faces with our hands and fingers, since they are basically breeding grounds for bacteria because we use them for everything and touch a million door handles and other germy surfaces every day, but we also need to be mindful when we are applying makeup, moisturizer, or anything else that the instrument we are using to apply it is germ and bacteria free, so we minimize the risk of a clogged pore.
If you’re like me, you use a makeup pad to apply your foundation. These makeup pads, of course, over time, build up not only the liquid foundation in their sponginess, but they can also begin to breed bacteria if they go too long without being either washed thoroughly or replaced.
Because foundation is a liquid, the pad does stay moist for a while after we have swiped it over our faces, and because of that moisture, bacteria and even mold can grow in it very quickly. You want to make sure you are consistent in replacing them, maybe every week or so, or I know that many of them now are reuseable because you can wash the foundation out of them and reuse them.
While using bacteria-filled things on our faces is not the main reason for acne, it’s really mainly a hormonal and inflammatory issue, it can most definitely aggravate the condition, and as a staunch acne-fighter, I’m sure you want to do everything possible to avoid a breakout!
Posted: Acne Cosmetics
2
August
2008
Well, I saw a demo of what this new tool for clearing acne and creating gorgeous, clear pores can do, and it is one of the most interesting and novel concepts in skin care that I think I’ve seen to date (and I’ve seen a lot, but this one is very advanced, although I’m sure they’ll keep blowing our minds with this new stuff for skin care). It’s called the Isolaz (pronounced Iso-Laze) laser, and the treatment has a twofold approach to help clean the pores and prevent further acne breakouts from occurring.
When I watched the demo video for the treatment, the device itself had a brand name of Aesthra. The treatments are incredibly expensive though, at 500 bucks a pop (they say you need about three treatments, and may need maintenance treatments here and there as well), so this is definitely not for lighter wallets, and of course it would take some thought before spending this type of treatment, no matter how effective.
The cool thing is that the treatment can be used for all four types of acne and be successful in treating all four, and it is supposedly painless and comfortable. I went online and saw some before and after pics of patients who had Isolaz treatments, and a lot of the results were truly remarkable. However, you do have to be careful with some before and after pics because of course any product or service is going to show their best results, and nothing works the same on everyone.
How it works : Isolaz laser treatments, as I had mentioned before, work on a two pronged approach. The device first goes all over the face and uses a gentle sucking motion to clean out debris and bacteria, all of which cause whiteheads, blackheads, and general acne bumps and roughness, and then it goes in and zaps the pores with an IPL (intense pulsed light) laser, which helps destroy bacteria and creates an ideal environment for the pores to stay clean and clear for a long time.
They also say the Isolaz treatments may help to shrink the pores, which is a quality that we are all envious of, because small pores make for a beautiful complexion as we all know. If this treatment does all it says it can, it probably is worth the price, however of course we wish they’d bring the price down a few notches so it’s more affordable to those in need of treatment.
Posted: Acne News, Medical Acne Treatments
